Inseparable
by xoxoangii
Summary: With the Reapers coming, can Joker sustain his relationship? Arrival and ME3.. or at least what I think it'll be like. Sequel to Vulnerable
1. Chapter 1

Shepard, Joker, Alyssa, and Thane sat in a booth in the corner of Omega. A few of their fellow crewmen were on the dance floor, dancing away the terror and fear they encountered on their previous mission.

"There goes Kelly again, trying to get close to Garrus," Joker said, taking a swig of his drink.

"She won't swoon him. He will just think.." Shepard put up her fingers, making air quotes.

"Us female humans have weird behaviors." Alyssa chuckled, drinking her non-alcoholic water. She rested her hand on her stomach, feeling the subtle bump that was now forming. Joker put his arm around her, bringing her close. She tucked away under Joker's neck, and caught a whiff of the alcohol he was drinking, and instantly became nauseous.

"Sorry to break up the party, but I'm going back to the ship. I'm not feeling so well." Alyssa excused herself and hurried her way to the Normandy. Joker followed closely behind, hobbling as fast as his legs could take him.

Shepard laughed at the pilot hobbling away.

"What do you find so humorous, Siha?" Thane asked, eyeing the Commander.

"Joker just looked really funny trying to catch up with her. I shouldn't be laughing at him, but I've never seen him hobble to fast before!" Shepard keeled over, holding her sides as she laughed out loud.

"Siha, I think you had too much to drink. We should return to the ship, as well."

* * *

><p>Joker walked into the bathroom just as Alyssa was getting ready to vomit into the toilet.<p>

"Holdmyhair," Alyssa quickly said before letting out into the toilet. Joker picked up her hair and brought it away from her face. It had gotten quite long since she came on the Normandy. It was so soft, and a very natural brown.

_Blleehh!_

Alyssa was sweating everywhere, beads of sweat rolling down the back of her neck. Joker could see she was falling weak, and kneeled down to support her weight as best as he could. After one last huff, she leaned back onto Joker, breathing heavily.

"Sorry. I smelled the alcohol in your breath and I felt like hurling," she said, her voice raspy. Joker immediately threw his head up, so his breath would not go towards her.

"Man, this pregnancy got you all tweaked out. What's next? Are you going to have to wear sunglasses in the cock pit?"

"Haha-Ow.. don't make me laugh right now." Alyssa hoisted herself up and leaned up against the steel wall.

"Uh, you got some, uh," Joker shyly pointed at little chunks that were still clinging onto the side of her mouth. She wiped them away and flung them somewhere, never to be seen again.

"I still feel really flushed. I hate this part of the pregnancy." Alyssa sighed as she went to the sink to rinse her face. Joker left and brought back her toothbrush and some toothpaste, thinking she'll want to get that awful taste out of her mouth right away. She gladly took it, and he walked out to give her some privacy.

He strode into the elevator and hit the button for the CIC. When the doors swished open, Shepard was there, and she didn't look too happy.

"Is Thane throwing up too?"

"I got a transmission from Admiral Hackett. Something about a special mission. I'll let you know once I'm done talking to him." Shepard entered the elevator and rode it up to her cabin. Joker made his way to the cockpit, sitting in the cold chair.

"EDI, what's the status of Alyssa?"

"She is currently on the crew deck, in her quarters."

Joker brought up the camera to see her laying down on the bed, trying to get some rest. Her back was probably killing her, explaining the sour look on her face while she tried to lay down straight. He felt so bad for her; he feels a little hopeless when he tries to help her out.

He spun in his chair, knowing Shepard would call him soon. He wondered what could have been so important that Hackett himself had to call on Shepard. He took off his cap and fiddled with it, when Shepard's voice came booming over the comm.

"Joker. Get the Normandy ready for departure, and set a course for Aratoht."

"Any particular reason we're heading there?"

"We're on a rescue mission. Looking for someone named Dr. Kenson. She's a good friend of Admiral Hackett."

Joker got the ship ready as the Normandy crew slowly made their way back onto the ship. Once everyone was on board, the Normandy left Omega and proceeded onto their mission for Dr. Kenson.

* * *

><p>"Is it supposed to hurt this much, doc?" Alyssa asked, leaning against the medical bed. Chakwas stood from her chair and walked over to the pregnant woman. She scanned her body with a handheld device.<p>

"Your back is taking a lot of stress, which explains the pain you're feeling. You're just going to have to keep up with your stretching, but we have to cut back on your treatment. I don't want anything necessary going into that baby." Chakwas typed something into her datapad and handed over a smaller dose of ointment to Alyssa.

"I'm bringing you down to two ointment treatments per week. I'd like you to keep up with your daily stretches, and I'll keep a close eye on the baby's progress."

"Thanks, for your help." Alyssa walked out, a bit hunched over from the pain. She slowly made her way up to the cockpit, joining Joker as he navigated through the relays. He looked over and smiled, relieved to see she looked much better from when they first stepped onto the ship.

"Feeling better?" he asked, looking over to her.

"Doctor Chakwas said that I have to keep stretching every day, but I can only use the ointment twice a week. She's scared the medicine might go to the baby." Alyssa rubbed her back as she walked to the co-pilot seat and sat down.

"Where are we going?" She asked, looking at Joker's console.

"Aratoht. We're rescuing some doctor," Joker said, placing the coordinates to head to the planet.

"EDI, take the helm. I'll be back in a few hours."

"As you wish, Jeff."

Joker got up and motioned Alyssa to follow him. They took the elevator downstairs and went into their cabin. He told her to start to doing her stretches while he administered the first treatment for the week. It was a little harder for her to stretch, considering she had another person attached to her belly now. Joker gave her a massage to relax her, which helped tremendously. They ended up falling asleep together, both their hands on Alyssa's growing stomach.

* * *

><p>"Joker! Joker! Wake up!"<p>

Joker opened his eyes to see the turian hovering over his body.

"What do you want?"

"Shepard is insisting that she goes alone onto Aratoht. She won't listen to us. You need to convince her that she needs us to help her." Joker slowly got up and rubbed his eyes.

"Why do I need to convince her? It's not like I can go out there and shoot a gun with her."

"It's just not like her to go out on her own, you know? And Thane is worried, too. He can't get through to her." Joker sighed.

"Alright, I'll – hey! Where's Alyssa?" Joker frantically looked around for her.

"She's on shift in the main battery. I was working with her when I got the call from Thane. If she's not there then she's probably up in the cockpit." Garrus' mandibles flapped.

"She's one tough woman, Joker. I've never seen a woman work like that with a baby on the way."

The two men walked out and over to the main battery. Alyssa wasn't there. Joker waved to the turian as he made his way upstairs to the CIC. He asked EDI to have Shepard meet him in the debriefing room. Shepard walked in a few minutes later. Joker was leaning against the table, with his arms crossed over his chest.

"So what's this you going lone ranger on this mission?" Shepard sighed.

"Let me guess. Garrus or Thane put you up to this." Joker nodded.

"Thane said he couldn't convince you, so he went to Garrus, and he woke me up from my beauty sleep."

"No offence, but you'd have to hibernate if you want beauty." Joker put up his hands in defense.

"Watch the pride, Shep! Some girls dig the stubble."

"The only girl you should be worrying about is the one flying this ship. Don't worry about me going on my own. I'm doing a favor for Hackett, and he requested I go it alone. I told him I would do it."

"Fine. I'll be keeping my eye on you the whole time you're groundside, though. The moment it looks like you're in trouble, Garrus and Thane are coming in after you."

"Sounds like a plan." Shepard and Joker shook hands as they walked out of the room together. Shepard went towards the Armory to pick up her weapons, and Joker walked off towards the cockpit.

He sneaked up next to her and planted a kiss on her cheek. She giggled, surprised at the greeting. She turned to give him a hug.

"When did you wake up?"

"A couple of hours ago. EDI told me we were getting close, and when I went outside Garrus needed my help." Joker sat on the metal beam next to Alyssa, watching her hands fly all over the console.

"Commander, we are nearing your DZ. ETA two minutes."

"Thanks, Alyssa. In the cargo bay and ready to drop."

"Sounds good. Happy hunting."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry this took forever! I've been busy getting back into school(which I was accepted to, yay!) and I've been juggling two stories. Hope you enjoy! Also check out my other story, We're Going to Disneyland! I'll try and update both simultaneously :) Happy reading!**

It's been several hours since Shepard has checked in with the Normandy, which was unusual. Alyssa fell asleep in the pilot chair, softly snoring as the console blinked in front of her. Joker walked through the bridge and into the cockpit, and set his bowl of cereal down next to his chair. He looked on the console, careful not to wake Alyssa. It appears they have been idle for a while, with no incoming transmissions from Shepard. Joker sent a message to the Commander, hoping that she would respond. He turned around to see Alyssa munching away at his cereal bowl.

"Well, you're welcome, I guess," Joker said, a little sad that he couldn't enjoy his cereal. Alyssa smiled.

"Sorry. I woke up super hungry and I saw the bowl. Has the Commander said anything?"

"No, I'm trying to get a hold of her right now. It's not like her to go dark like this for a long time."

"Joker? Alyssa?" Shepard's voice came over the console.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you to check in with them if you're going to be out late?" Joker said, shaking his head.

"I had to stay quiet or I would've gotten slaughtered by those batarians. Anyways I'm with Dr. Kenson. I'm sending you the coordinates of our destination-"

"Got it, Commander. We'll be right behind you."

"That's my pilot. Shepard out."

"This cereal is delicious!"

"Don't remind me. I'm crying inside," Joker said, holding his hands up to his heart.

"I'll get you another bowl," Alyssa said, slowly getting up and walking away towards the elevator. Joker sat down and double checked the systems, making sure the Normandy was following Dr. Kenson's shuttle.

Everything seemed to be going as planned. Joker took this time to think about his future, and how it would be.

He never thought he would actually find someone to settle down with. He always thought he'd be the guy that can sway ships but could never sway women. He honestly thought she would just be another girl he would go on a few dates with, and then she'd think it was awkward for her to be dating a fellow crewmate.

Instead, it was the total opposite.

That girl is now going to be the mother of his first child. She was only a few months into the pregnancy, but he was already thinking about what space ships he would show them.

'Definitely the Normandy,' he thought, smiling to himself. He already knew which stories he'd tell them, like the story of how he rallied the Arcturus fleet to defeat Sovereign.

He pictured himself holding a baby wrapped in a blanket, rocking slowly as Alyssa made the crib. He pictured taking off his infamous SR-2 cap, and laying it in the crib while the baby was fast asleep, and how he'd put it on their head when they get older.

He pictured playing rocket ships with his child, running around the room with toy ships, picking them up and tossing them in the air.

All these images brought a big smile to his face, along with a little chuckle. He looked up at the windows and stared at the stars, and a realization just as dark as the void in front of him manifested in his head.

These pictures he made in his head will never come true if the Reapers really come exterminate all life in the galaxy.

'Thank god we have Shepard,' he thought, re-focusing himself to the current mission. The shuttle Shepard was on has docked on what appears to be an asteroid of some sort. He wasn't going to question anything, so he stayed nearby, waiting on Shepard's orders.

* * *

><p>Joker and Alyssa were sleeping in the cockpit, when they heard the clicking of heels coming towards them. Alyssa stirred, yawning and stretching her arms out. Joker was out cold.<p>

"Joker! Where is Shepard?"

Joker snored in response.

"Joker! Wake up!" Miranda said, slightly shaking the pilot. He jumped a little, which sent his cap flying off his head.

"What happened?"

"Have you talked to Shepard? She has been gone for quite some time," Miranda said, crossing her arms over her chest. Alyssa got up, walking towards the two.

"We've been up here all night. No messages, no signs of distress," Alyssa said, standing next to Miranda.

"Where did my hat go?" Joker asked, frantically looking around for it. Miranda turned around and picked up the hat off of the floor and handed it to him. Alyssa stepped in front of Miranda and pressed a button on the console.

"Normandy to shore party! Shepard, are you alright?"

Silence. Joker pressed a few more buttons, then shook his head.

Looks like communication is blocked. She can't hear us and we can't hear her. We'll just have to wait."

Miranda dropped her arms and stormed out of the cockpit.

"You'll be lucky if Thane doesn't kill you for this!" Miranda said. Alyssa laughed.

"I think you should be more worried about Garrus. Him and Shepard are like twins."

"I'll be fine," Joker said, waving the thought off.

"I've worked long enough with Shepard that if she really was in trouble, she would find some way to tell me to get her. She would never leave me hanging."

"It's been a whole day since we've heard from her. That doesn't bother you?" Joker shook his head.

"I am worried because she's never been gone for this long before, but I trust her that she won't be stupid, and she knows that I'm here waiting for her orders." Alyssa shook her head as she walked back to the co-pilot's seat and started doing scans of the asteroid-looking place, just for safety precautions.

"Honey, look at this," Alyssa said, her face looking more concerned.

"It seems like the base is the only thing on this rock, and they have some weird readings coming from the base itself."

Alyssa showed some fluctuating readings of Dark Energy. Joker has seen something like this before, when he was fighting with Sovereign.

"They must have one huge reaper artifact in there. Keep an eye on those readings. If those go off the charts, that will be our signal to start looking for Shepard."

Hours passed, and still no sign of Shepard. The readings have stayed steady, and the Normandy stayed dormant near the Project Base. Periodically, Garrus, Miranda, and Thane would come up, asking for status reports, but they would answer the same every time.

"There's nothing from her! I told you communications have been blocked," Joker said, getting frustrated at the three.

"Jeff!" Alyssa yelled, grabbing Joker's attention immediately. Joker looked at her console, and saw the energy readings frantically dancing across her screen. He looked up through the window. The asteroid seemed to be getting smaller and smaller.

"I think it's moving," Alyssa said, staring at it, too.

"That's our sign." Joker brought the Normandy back to her normal humming state and chased after the asteroid.

With no sign and no radio calls from Shepard, Alyssa has been keeping track of the energy readings coming from the artifact. As the Normandy stayed close, the readings were still off the charts. Joker tried to get as close as possible, trying to see if maybe they could get a heat signature that could be their commander.

The Normandy and the asteroid were inching closer and closer to the mass relay.

"Shepard better get a hold of us soon before-"

"Shepard to Normandy! Joker, do you read me!" Joker slammed his hand on the console.

"Shepard! We're here ready for-"

*click*

"DAMN IT!" Joker said, punching his console. His fist swelled a bit, but he dismissed the pain, trying to reconnect with Shepard. His hands danced around his console, but to no avail.

"Communications have been shut off again, but I do have the coordinates from where she was calling from," Alyssa said, showing Joker what she found.

"I guess we're heading there."

The journey to Shepard's position seemed forever, but they finally made it, with the mass relay also closing in on their position. Joker and Alyssa knew they had to do this extraction fast, and they had to jump through that relay before the hunk of rock hits it first.

"Prepare yourselves for the Arrival," a hauntingly familiar voice rang over Joker's console. The voice sent chills down both their spines.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, but let's get out of here!"

Alyssa pressed a button on her console.

"Commander Shepard! Normandy inbound for pickup!" she said as she opened the airlock. Once inside, she closed it, and Joker took off for the mass relay.

"Joker! Get us out of here!" Shepard yelled, running into the cockpit. Joker silently pressed buttons on his console, and got the Normandy to jump through the relay. Shepard ran out towards the galaxy map, just in time to watch the system clear itself from her map.

The ship finally came to a stop. All was quiet again.

* * *

><p>Alyssa walked into her cabin. Joker was already laying on their bed, looking at the ceiling. She sat on the side of the bed, looking at Joker.<p>

"What's wrong? You seemed bothered by something." Joker sighed, looking at her with a weary smile.

"Ever since I met you, I can't hide my feelings anymore."

"Isn't that a good thing? I wouldn't want you lying to me." Joker laughed.

"Not like that. I mean, when you got taken by the collectors, I actually cried." Alyssa looked at him, her eyes glossed over with tears that were ready to fall.

"Usually I'm the one that jokes around at serious situations. But, lately, I can't be like that anymore. I'm always worrying about you. I'm always worrying about the baby." Joker sat up and stared into her eyes.

"I don't want anything bad happening to you, or the baby. I already almost lost you once to the Collectors. I don't want the same thing happening again with the Reapers. I can't go through that shit again."

Tears rolled down his face as he tried to hide in Alyssa's neck. She hugged him, rubbing his back as he silently wept. She kissed his forehead, and cupped his face with her hands.

"Nothing is going to happen to you, or me, or the baby. We're going to get through this together, and we're going to come out of it together as a family." She took his hands into hers.

"We have the best damn team there could be, and we have a pretty good ship, with the best – and sexiest – pilot in the galaxy. There's no way we could fail this." Joker laughed. He put his hand over her stomach, which was now getting fairly large. He bent down to kiss her stomach, when her stomach protruded and hit his lips.

"Ow!" Alyssa gasped, looking at Joker, then looking at her stomach, then looking at Joker again.

"What the hell was that? Your stomach just attacked me!"

"The baby kicked!" Alyssa put her hand on her stomach, and she could feel her child kick a few more times.

"It's only been like four months! How is that thing kicking already?"

"Dr. Chakwas said it's in my genes or something. So instead of the nine months like normal women, she said I'll be ready by six or seven months," Alyssa said, nonchalantly. Joker felt like he was just hit in the face with a ton of bricks.

"I guess you'll be a father faster than you expected!"

"I guess I'll have to kick the Reapers' ass faster than I expected," Joker said, walking out to the mess hall.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took me so long to update this! School has been kicking me in the butt, but I promise I'll try not to leave you guys hanging for too long! 3**

* * *

><p>After the haunting incident on Dr. Kenson's project base, Shepard thought it would be nice for another shore leave until it was time for her to face the music back on Earth. She would personally drop off everyone that wanted to go groundside, but did not force it upon everyone.<p>

Except for Alyssa and Joker.

"_I'm ordering you two to take groundside shore leave," Shepard said, crossing her arms._

"_Then who's going to fly my ship?" Joker said, trying to find an excuse to stay on the Normandy._

"_I will, and you know I'll take good care of her. You guys deserve this, anyways! Especially with the baby on the way. You're not going to get this opportunity again once the baby's here." Alyssa rested her hands on her stomach. It was as if she was holding onto a beach ball._

"_She's right. May be we should take this time for us, babe." Joker sighed in defeat. Shepard smiled. She knew if she could convince Alyssa, there's no way he could refuse her._

"_I'll drop you off at Illium with Miranda. She's going to see her sister anyways." Shepard walked away to go talk to the rest of the crew._

They walked into the trading floor. Alyssa drew a breath and looked over the balcony.

"The last time I was here, I was buying a drink and then I ended up on the Normandy." She looked at the towering sky scrapers and the traffic that whizzed around each building. They walked through the trading floor to hail a cab, and then proceeded to Alyssa's apartment.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened to a huge room, which pretty much took up the whole floor. In front of them was a small patio, which stepped down into the living room area, complete with two connecting sofas that made a "U" shape, a coffee table with a few books, and a big screen television. To the right was the kitchen and a small dining place. Hung above the dining table was a picture of Alyssa and her family. To the left was the bedroom, the door slightly ajar.

"Holy shit! How did you get a place like this?" Joker's jaw dropped at every turn. He felt like he was in a mansion. Alyssa sat on the sofa.

"Remember on our first date, when I told you that I knew that my parents died that day on the Citadel?" Joker nodded, not liking where this was going.

"Apparently, my parents had a will. I inherited everything. I actually have a house back on Earth. This was my dad's place when he would go on business trips." Alyssa walked over to the picture in the dining area, and grazed her hand over her father's face.

"They even put in the will that even if I refused to take ownership, it'll still be under my name. I guess at the time they wrote it, I was off doing my own thing, and they were scared I'd become homeless, so they wanted to make sure that whatever I decided to do, I always had a home to come back to." Alyssa's voice cracked at the last part. She sighed as she pulled one of the dining room chairs and sat down.

"I swear this baby is getting heavier and heavier by the minute." Joker came and sat down next to her, rubbing her back.

"C'mon, let's go rest," he said, taking her by the hand and walking into the bedroom.

* * *

><p>"<em>I know you feel this," Joker could hear in his head. <em>

_Joker was running, but he didn't know where he was running to. He had a rifle in his hand, shooting in every direction. Suddenly, he ran into something hard. He winced as he rubbed his arm. A light flickered on, and he was in a hospital room. There was a window on the other side. He walked up to the window, and he could see Alyssa lying down and their baby. Alyssa looked over to Joker. She had tears coming out of her eyes, and she looked scared. Joker bunched his eyebrows, trying to figure out what was going on. _

"_Alyssa? Baby what's going on?" Joker yelled, but she couldn't hear. She cried, reaching her arm towards Joker._

"_Help!" she yelled over and over. The baby was next to her in a little cart, crying and wailing for attention._

"_What's going on?" Joker looked around, there was no door. Just four walls and the window he was looking through. He banged on the window, hoping it would shatter._

"_Alyssa!" he yelled,banging harder on the window._

"_Jeff! Jeff!"she mouthed. She looked to an area that was in front of her, and immediately Joker could see her eyes growing huge. She was screaming. Something wasn't right._

_Suddenly, the bed came out from under her, and she was enclosed in a collector pod._

"_No! You son of a bitches! Don't fucking take her!"_

_A collector came in, a smaller pod hovering next to it._

"_You bitches! Don't take them! No!" _

_The collector took the baby from the cart and laid it in the smaller pod. Simultaneously, a gas erupted into both the baby's and Alyssa's pod, and the two went unconscious. _

"_NO! LET THEM GO!" _

_The collector left the room with both pods hovering side by side. Joker kept banging on the window to no avail. Tears streamed down his eyes, yelling and screaming, until he couldn't anymore._

_There was rumbling beneath his feet. Then suddenly, Joker woke up, tears down his face, breathing heavily. _

* * *

><p>The next day, they decided to go out to a shopping plaza to walk around. They figured now is a good time to start buying things for the baby.<p>

"Okay, so, we need a crib, clothes, diapers, toys, bottles, milk," Alyssa said, counting them off on her fingers.

"Holy crap, that's a lot. Uh.." Joker looked around, trying to find a store that had something that they needed. They found a furniture store, and decided to look for a crib first.

"What about this one?" Joker asked, pointing at a metal crib.

"Heavens, no! That looks like a baby prison. I want it to look cute." Alyssa walked further down the aisle, and stopped at one that had an antique feel to it. It also came with a matching dresser and changing station. Joker figured she was better at picking these things out, so they settled with this set.

"You also get a choice of what toy set you can take home. You can pick from this selection here," the salarian store owner said, pointing to a shelf with toys.

"You can pick," Alyssa said, paying for the set. Joker looked up, rubbing his chin. His eyes landed on one toy.

"That one."

He pointed to a space ship. That set came with the plush ship and plush planets. The bed sheets had planets and stars patterned all over it in different colors. They had everything set to be delivered back to Earth. They then walked down another row of stores, and came upon a baby clothing store. They decided on choosing neutral colors, since they won't know the gender of the baby until delivery time.

Three stores later, the plaza was getting ready to close, and it was time for them to go home. They hailed a cab and went back to the apartment.

Alyssa and Joker shopped on Illium for another week before departing for Earth. They arrived at Alyssa's house, which looked like a bigger version of her apartment. The only difference is that the kitchen is much larger, and there were three bedrooms. Sitting in the living room were the boxes of things they bought from Illium. Alyssa decided to use her old room as the baby's room, and Joker immediately started putting the room together.

"This is so surreal. I was raised in this house and in this room, and now my own child will be having that same experience," Alyssa said, hanging up pictures of her and Joker.

"Wish I could say the same, but I don't think growing up in a hospital bed was a good experience. Never want to do that again." He thought about the nightmare that he had, and immediately took the thoughts out of his head.

"I had my share of a hospital bed, too!" Alyssa laughed, pointing at her lower back.

After a few hours and a few bruises from putting the dresser together, Joker was finally done assembling the new furniture. He walked out of the room, and found Alyssa fast asleep on the couch with the television on. He smiled as he walked over to turn off the television, and started to try and lift her up to take her to bed.

Joker decided to just leave her there, and sleep on the couch next to her.

'May be when my bones stop breaking,' he thought, going to the kitchen to grab a drink. He walked over the room next to the nursery, which Alyssa turned into an office while he was working on the other room. He turned on the computer, and decided to message Dr. Chakwas and Shepard.

"Jeff, it's good to see you," Chakwas said, her face filling the screen.

"Where is Alyssa? Has she delivered yet?"

"No, she's sleeping right now. Is she supposed to be delivering right now?"

"Oh, Jeff. If you knew how a woman's body worked, you wouldn't be asking such a thing."

"Well I don't know how to tell! I can't exactly get pregnant! And that would be… very painful if I was."

"And I'm glad that you can't get pregnant, or I'd be worried about you. Where are you right now?"

"We're in Washington, at her house. We just bought some stuff for the baby."

"You're kidding. Where in Washington?"

"Um, I'm not sure. I'll send you the coordinates." Joker punched the coordinates over to Dr. Chakwas, and suddenly the connection got severed.

The doorbell rung, which woke up Alyssa. She went over to answer it, and it was Dr. Chakwas.

"Doctor! I didn't know you lived around here!"

"I'm actually your neighbor. I thought you looked familiar. I've spent so many years on ships, I don't even know my own neighbor!" Chakwas laughed as she took in the sight of Alyssa.

She has gotten huge.

"Looks like you're ready to pop, dear! I could only imagine it'll be just a few more days before you go into labor."

"How do you know this stuff just by looking at her?" Joker asked, leaning against the doorway of the office.

"It's a woman's instincts. You wouldn't understand."

They exchanged a few more words before the doctor went home. It was getting pretty late, and Alyssa was tired of walking around with her huge belly in the way. They finally retreated to their bedroom, and fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Joker woke up to Alyssa talking to someone else. He rubbed his eyes, and walked over to the office, seeing Shepard's face on the screen.

"Good morning, Joker!"

"Hey Shepard. What's up?"

"I was just asking a favor from you two. A.. very serious one." Alyssa looked at Joker with eyes that made him concerned about the matters at hand.

"Shepard got called in for the trial. The Normandy got grounded at the Citadel, and we need to get her out and ready to pick up Shepard if the trial goes stupid," Alyssa said, looking at Shepard. Her holographic image nodded, looking towards Joker.

"Can I count on you two to get our ship out of there?"

"The last time we did this Anderson sucker punched Udina. I don't think we'll have the luxury of doing that again."

"Don't worry. I pulled a few strings, and a few of our friends from C-Sec will make sure any traces of you getting that ship out disappear." Joker sighed.

"You know, Commander, I can't keep pulling your ass out when you can't do it on your own." The two women laughed at his sarcastic comment.

"I'll see you in a day or two. I'm leaving tonight for Earth, and I've arranged a shuttle for you to get back to the Citadel." The computer bleeped as her image blurred away.

Joker looked at Alyssa with concerned eyes.

"I'll be fine. If anything, Chakwas is there to help me through," she replied, as if she knew what Joker was about to say. Joker kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm just scared that something will happen to you or the baby."

"I think it would be worse if you left me here while you fly around the galaxy kicking ass. I don't want another Collector shenanigan to happen." Alyssa got up and walked back towards their bedroom.

"I'm going to start packing some things. Did you want to make breakfast?"

"You trust me with food? I usually just make cereal."

"That's fine with me."

* * *

><p>"Normandy to Bailey, we are ready when you are."<p>

There was quiet over the comm. Alyssa and Joker stared at their consoles, blanked out because they were locked out of the system. After a few tense minutes, both their consoles beeped, and the controls came running back to life.

"That should do it. Kick some ass out there, Normandy," Bailey said, his respect heard through the tone of his voice. With that, the comm permanently shut down, so no one could trace their communication between each other.

Joker smoothly reversed the huge ship, turned her around, and sped into space and back towards Earth, standing by for Shepard's call.

Joker and Alyssa were accompanied by Dr. Chakwas, Garrus, and Thane. They were the closest crew members to them, so Shepard decided they would join them as well. The other crew members were alerted of her summons, and were asked to stand by for pick up once Shepard was done with her trial. The ship had a very tense atmosphere everywhere you would go. No one knew what was going on with their Commander. She couldn't keep in contact, even if she found a way. All they could do was sit and wait for some kind of sign from her.

"Has there been anything, Joker?" Garrus asked, walking into the cockpit.

"There's nothing. I've tried everything, it's like she doesn't even exist." Garrus rubbed his mandibles with his talon.

"Something doesn't feel right. She would always find some way to show us where she is."

"She is with the Alliance, Garrus," Alyssa said, swiveling in her chair.

"Their superior court is notorious for-"

Alyssa's thought was interrupted by a lightning bolt of pain in her lower abdomen. She screamed in pain, falling onto her side. Garrus ran to her and sat her up, leaning her body against his armor. Joker was already calling for Chakwas. There was liquid coming from between her legs, that horrified Garrus and excited Joker.

"Jeff, the baby is here," Alyssa said through controlled breaths. Garrus just stared at what was unfolding before him.

"Jeff, I want you to bring Alyssa down here immediately. I'll be getting the room ready for her," Chakwas said, calmly.

"Yes ma'am. Garrus, can you carry her to the medical bay?"

"Uh, uh, yeah," Garrus said, snapping back into reality. He got up and hoisted the laboring woman into his arms, and started the walk to the elevator. Joker was close behind, simultaneously linking his omni tool to the console.

Garrus stood with his back against the wall as Alyssa kept up with her controlled breathing. Joker stood in front of him to wipe the sweat off of her face and to try and keep her calm.

He felt like this was longest ride to the Crew Deck.

Once the doors finally swished open, him and Joker rushed into the medical bay. There was a bed towards the back that was covered by a sheet that went around the bed to give privacy. Chakwas pointed to that section while she put on some gloves and her glasses.

"Alright Alyssa, it's time. Are you ready?"

"I guess I have to be," she said through gritted teeth. Garrus left the medical bay, still a little dumbfounded by what he just experienced.

Dr. Chakwas sat on a stool on the edge of the bed. She positioned Alyssa's legs in an open and bent position, giving the baby optimal room to birth safely. She looked up at Alyssa, then looked at Joker.

"Are you ready, Mr. Moreau?" Joker looked at Alyssa, who was dripping in sweat.

"Hell yeah!" Chakwas laughed.

"Ready, and breathe in, and push! One.. two.. three.." Chakwas counted all the way up to ten, then Alyssa let out her breath. The pain was excruciating, but she know she had to push through it. Joker stood there a bit awkwardly, and continuously wiped her face with a cold towel.

"Ready, breathe in, and push!" she said again, the baby's head barely peeking out of the opening.

"I can see the baby's head!" Chakwas proclaimed, looking up at Joker.

"Time to push again. Ready, deep breath, and push! One.. two.. three.."

The top of the baby's head finally crowned , and Chakwas motioned for Joker to come and look.

"That," she said, pointing at the baby's head. "Is your child. Are you ready?" Joker nodded, and kissed Alyssa on the cheek.

"We're almost there baby," Joker said, holding her hand. He vowed to himself this will be the greatest time in his life, despite the bone fractures in his hand.

"Just a few more pushes, and the baby will be here." Chakwas positioned herself better to be ready to hold the baby once it's completely out.

She had Alyssa push three more times before the baby finally was free.

"It's a boy!" Chakwas was waiting to say that since the moment she found out she was pregnant. There were tears in her eyes as she looked at Joker. She laid the baby on Alyssa's chest, so she could hold her. She cradled the little boy, who was crying like there was no tomorrow. She gave him a kiss on the forehead, and stroked his little cheek and held his little hands.

"Jeff, my dear, would you like to cut the cord?" Dr. Chakwas asked, handing the scissors to him. He took the scissors, and cut the cord where she told him to.

Shortly thereafter, Chakwas took the baby to get rinsed, weighed, and wrapped in a blanket.

"I can't believe it! I'm a dad!" Joker said, looking around, excited.

"What do you want to name him?" he asked, looking at his girlfriend, drenched in sweat.

"I don't know. I haven't really thought of a name," Alyssa said, deep in thought.

"Let's call him Gavin," Joker said, thinking back to a fond memory.

"I had an Uncle Gavin, who was the best uncle in the world. He passed away just before I enlisted into the Alliance."

"Gavin is a wonderful name," Alyssa said, touched that Joker wanted to name their son after his uncle.

"Does he have a name?" Dr. Chakwas asked, walking in with the newborn wrapped in a blanket. She handed the baby over to Joker as he nodded.

"Gavin Ray Moreau."

"That is a beautiful name. There is another matter I need to discuss with you." The couple looked at the doctor.

"What do you want me to do with all these people?"

She turned the tint off from the windows, which showed the mess hall filled with the Normandy crew, Garrus and Thane in front of the window and waving at the baby.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Just wanted to say thank you to everyone reading this story! I know my updates are turtle speed compared to when I was writing Vulnerable, so I wanted to push this chapter out before I belly flopped into my midterms this Wednesday. I'm planning to have the next chapter out sometime tomorrow. It's REALLY short, but I've added a little twist that will hopefully keep you all on your toes for the meantime. I took M-Angel's advice and I HAVE enabled anonymous reviews, so please leave me something, good or bad!**

Dr. Chakwas let everyone in by pairs to meet the first child to be born on the Normandy. First in was Gabby and Ken. Alyssa and Chakwas raised an eyebrow at the two. Gabby held the baby, and looked at Ken with an expression that everyone seemed to understand except Ken. She shook her head as she handed Gavin back to Joker. When it was time for Garrus and Thane to come back in, Joker's omni-tool pinged.

"It's the Commander," he said, looking at the message.

"She said the trial is over, and somehow Admiral Hackett pulled some strings and got her out. She's waiting for us."

"I shall take a shuttle out to pick her up," Thane said, holding Gavin in his arms.

"I'll go with you. She'll be furious if you go by yourself," Garrus said, waving his talon to the baby.

Chakwas came and took the baby from Thane, and laid him in a small crib, and wheeled it next to Alyssa. Joker decided to leave the medical bay so the two could rest, and to get the Normandy ready for Shepard's arrival.

Joker was halfway to the cockpit when Garrus alerted him that they had left the Normandy and were en route to picking up Shepard. Once seated, he positioned the Normandy into a clever position: low enough that the shuttle would not sustain too much damage or lose too much fuel, and it would allow for a speedy exit if the extraction did not go as planned.

Extractions never go as planned. At least with Shepard.

* * *

><p>Joker anxiously waited for her return. It's been fifteen long minutes, and he hasn't heard anything from the ground team.<p>

"Normandy to shore party, come in," he said into the comm. No answer. He scanned the area, but the shuttle was nowhere to be found.

This was odd. He squinted at his console. This usually doesn't happen during an extraction. Suddenly, his console flickered orange then red, then a familiar structure appeared in front of him.

"Aw shit," he said, starting to get up.

"Your time is coming, Jeff," Harbinger said, which sent chills down his spine.

"Not when Shepard is still alive! You sons a bitches aren't going to get me!" Joker said, sticking his tongue out.

"Don't be so naïve, Jeff. This will hurt you."

"Sovereign went down without a problem. It'll be the same with you," Joker said, glaring at the image on his console.

"Prepare for the end of humanity, Jeff," Harbinger said before flickering off of the screen.

His console became the familiar orange once again. There was a small green light blinking, which he realized was the shuttle asking for the cargo bay door to open.

"Welcome home, Commander," Joker said into the comm.

"Jeff, you need to come to the medical bay this instant!" Chakwas said in a panic. Without hesitation, Joker hobbled as fast as he could to the crew deck. He ran into the medical bay, Shepard, Thane, and Garrus very close behind.

"Alyssa is in a coma. Just after you left to get the ship ready, her back spasms started to kick in again. I've never seen one so severe. I tried to give her pain medication but nothing is working. She fell into a coma just before I was finally able to get a hold of you."

"Finally? How long have you been trying to contact me?"

"For the last ten minutes. Nothing could go through, even Shepard couldn't get a hold of you when they got here."

Joker looked down and pondered the recent confrontation with Harbinger. What did it all mean?

"What's wrong, Joker?" Shepard asked.

"Before Chakwas called me, Harbinger took over the cockpit console and talked to me."

Shepard looked at him sternly.

"What did he say to you?"

"He said my time was coming, and that it would hurt me." He suddenly remembered the nightmare he had, when the collectors took away Alyssa and Gavin. He shook his head, getting the thought out of his mind.

Shepard let Joker stay in the medical bay while herself and Thane took care of the ship and picking up the rest of their crew. He sat on a stool next to Alyssa, holding her hand. He positioned Gavin's crib in front of him. He stared at Gavin, watching him peacefully sleep.

Gavin weighed in at a whopping seven pounds and eight ounces, but as healthy as babies could come. He had no complications that Chakwas could see, and all his tests came back negative for any illnesses, diseases and complications. His skin was a bit lighter than Joker's. Chakwas reassured the couple his skin tone will probably darken as he gets older. His facial structure took resemblance to Joker's but his eyes were the same shape as Alyssa's. He came out with a full head of black hair.

The thought of the Collectors taking his son away infuriated him. He angrily shook the thought away, and looked at Alyssa.

She looked like she was peacefully sleeping. Chakwas connected a breathing tube through her mouth to ensure that she still obtained the right amount of oxygen. Her chest lightly rose up and down with every breath the tube gave her. He stroked the back of her hand with her thumb, hoping she could still feel him holding her hand. He felt his eyes become heavy, so he laid his head next to her hand, falling asleep.

* * *

><p>"It looks like a lot has happened since I announced shore leave," Shepard said, looking at Thane in the co-pilot seat.<p>

"There will be more as the fight gets closer, Siha." Shepard sighed, a slight hint of worry shown on her face.

"I just hope Joker won't be affected too much with Alyssa in a coma. I need him at his best, better than when we defeated Sovereign."

A few short minutes passed before she turned her seat fully towards Thane.

"Thane, why don't you and I try for a baby?"

Thane's thoughts and duties came to a screeching halt at her question. He stood and walked towards Shepard, stopping inches away from her and resting his hands behind his back.

"Siha, you and I both know this would not be the ideal time to raise a child. More so, you are still, in essence, raising Joker to be a good father. If you think about it, you already have a child to worry about."

"Joker, as my child," she said those words slowly, then shuddered at the thought.

"Don't ever make me think that again. That's just… quite disturbing."


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Joker piloted the Normandy alone, which was a strange sensation to him now.

He was so used to having Alyssa by his side. The once familiar silence was now deafening to him. Every few minutes he would glance over at the co-pilot's seat, hoping that she would miraculously wake up and be sitting there, smiling at him. He sighed as he worked away on his console, trying not to make himself sad. The sound of slippers shuffling behind him caused him to turn his chair.

"Hey Shepard," he waved. Shepard could see the hurt in his face.

"You know, I am a bit upset that I wasn't there for Gavin's birth," she said, trying to lighten the mood. Joker gave a light snort, but that's all she got from him.

"I think you would have been a better candidate than Garrus," Joker said, thinking about the turian's face in the elevator.

"So I've heard. I told him I was jealous, and he looked at me funny." Shepard stared at her pilot. He had a blank stare, looking out of the window in front of him. She knew there was nothing she could say to get his mind off of what happened. Seeing his expression reminded her of what her and Thane were discussing not that long ago.

As much as it disgusted her to hear it from him, it was true. Although they never really said it, Shepard and Joker did have this mother-and-son relationship going on. She would always be the one to say the "I told you so" speech when something would go wrong, or if Joker needed any advice, he would always turn to Shepard, no one else.

Shepard gave a long sigh as she hoisted herself up on the metal beam, and sat with her legs crossed in front of her. She examined Joker's face for a bit, trying to find the easiest way to start this conversation.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay-"

"Don't give me that bull shit. I can read your face like a book." Joker sighed, letting Shepard win this one.

"I feel like shit. I don't know what's worse: almost losing her to the Collectors, or her being a coma. I feel like.." Joker fully turned his attention to Shepard, turning his chair to face her. He rested his elbows on his legs and rubbed his face in his hands, trying to make sense of everything.

"Is this how true love really is? 'Cuz it fucking sucks."

"Every relationship has their ups and downs. If you both love each other, you'll be able to overcome anything. It sucks, it really sucks, but you just got to fight through it, and when the problem is gone, it'll make your relationship that much stronger." Shepard hopped down from the beam and sat on one of the arm rests, rubbing Joker's back, his face still buried in his hands.

"My little flyboy, you still have much to learn about life. See what being cooped up in this cockpit does to you?" Shepard was able to get a muffled laugh from Joker. He sighed as he leaned in toward Shepard. She hugged him, resting her chin on top of his cap.

"It hurts me to see you like this, and I know it hurts Alyssa, too. She wouldn't want you moping around like this." Shepard rubbed her thumb on his shoulder.

Then, an odd realization washed over her.

She knew she was there to comfort him, to comfort a friend, but the way they were there with each other felt awkwardly intimate. She was sitting on the armrest, her legs arching over his. Joker leaned in towards her, resting his head on her thighs and his arms wrapped around her waist.

He had a family. She had Thane. But she couldn't help but wonder, what if?


	7. Chapter 7

It's been a few weeks since Shepard returned to the Normandy. Alyssa was still in the medical bay, but Chakwas approved Gavin to be stable enough to be taken around the ship.

Most of the time that he was out of his crib, he was with Joker up in the cockpit. Joker would cradle him in one arm while performing his pilot duties with the other. He cooed and stared at everything. Every now and then Joker would look down at his son, and smile. He would tap his nose, which made Gavin blink, or he would kiss him on the forehead while he slept. Sometimes the crew would come up to the cockpit to say hello to him. Most of the time it was Shepard that was up there with him and the baby.

"Hey Joker, I need you to take us back to Illium. Liara is going to join us this time around," she said, walking up to the cockpit.

"Gotcha."

Shepard instinctively took Gavin from Joker's arms, and played with him. She talked in a high pitched voice to him, which made Joker laugh hysterically.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You don't talk to other people like that. I've never seen you like this before."

"He's a baby! Babies love this kind of stuff."

"Uh, I think you forgot, Shepard. He has my genes, so chances are that he's laughing too."

"Thanks for being a jerk."

Shepard walked around Joker's chair and played around with Gavin, making more of those high pitched noises and making Joker laugh.

"When you get older, you can call me auntie! And I am going to spoil you like there's no tomorrow. When your parents treat you bad, just come to Auntie Emi and I'll take care of everything." Joker shook his head.

"You're impossible sometimes. We're about an hour away from Illium."

"Thanks Joker."

Shepard turned and handed Gavin back to Joker before heading up to her cabin to change.

Gavin was cooing again in his lap as he smoothly brought the Normandy in for arrival in Nos Astra. Once the Normandy was docked, he left the cockpit to take Gavin back to Alyssa. As much as he loved having Gavin with him, he knew he needs time with her, too, even though she is still in a comatose state. When the elevator doors hissed open, he was greeted by most of the engineering crew, Tali, Kasumi, and Miranda. He gave a nod as he walked through the medical bay doors and straight to Alyssa's make-shift room. He laid Gavin in his crib, then walked over to Alyssa's side and kissed her forehead.

"Hey sweetie," he said, taking her hand into his. He stared at her and let out a long sigh. He wished at this very moment, she would open her eyes and say hello to him. It's only been a few days but it seemed like months or years to Joker. He realized how lonely he was without her there by his side. He stared at every feature of hers: her long hair that Chakwas pulled to the side, her eyes (even though they were closed, Joker could imagine what her eyes look like), her cute little nose, and her smile. Her skin was still as soft as before, her chest lightly rising up and down with every artificial breath. He wanted to picture here lying there, looking at him and smiling, but he couldn't help but stare at the breathing tube that stuck out from her mouth and connected to a hole in the wall just to the side of her bed. There was a small monitor right above her, updating in real time her vitals. Chakwas also programmed to her omni tool an update of Alyssa's status, so if anything seemed skewed, she could get back to the medical bay right away. Joker pulled up a stool from Chakwas' desk, and sat next to Alyssa, still holding her hand.

"I hope you've been okay. Chakwas hasn't called me down here so I'm guessing everything is going well. She said she cannot tell if you'll be like this for a long time, or if you'll be like this for the rest of your life."

His voice choked at those last words.

He looked down at his hands that were holding hers. He could feel no movement from her, but her hands were still warm and soft. He sighed again as he rested his head on her bed, looking down at his feet.

"Why does all the bad shit have to happen to you? I almost lost you on the Collector Base, and I don't know what's going to happen to you now…"

He held onto her hand a bit tighter. Thoughts of anger and pain surged through his body.

"I just wish it would have happened to me and not you."

He looked over to Gavin, who was peacefully sleeping in his crib.

"You know, besides all this crap that's been happening, I'm so happy that you fell in love with me, and that I fell in love with you. Before I met you, I totally thought I'd stay single forever. I thought all women were the same, and no one would look past my Vrolik's, but you did, and I'm thankful for that. And you're one hell of a woman to put up with my shenanigans.. besides Shepard." Joker laughed as he smiled at the sleeping Alyssa.

"I have to head back now, baby. I'll come back down tonight if I can." Joker stood up and kissed her forehead again.

"I love you." He went over to Gavin's crib and kissed his forehead before walking out of the medical bay.

The mess hall was quiet now, only Kasumi was left. She was sitting at the table, staring at her glass of water.

"I don't think you're going to make that glass levitate anytime soon."

"A girl can dream, right?" she said, looking up at the pilot.

"Why are you still down here?"

"Just wanted some time alone. There's a lot of things on my mind.

"Like? Fill me in on the drama of the Normandy." Joker walked over and sat across from Kasumi.

"Well for starters Gabby and Ken are doing their usual bickering. I think they're getting the hint though, that they should get together soon. Jack and Miranda are still being Jack and Miranda. Thane is still doing good with Shepard. Nothing really exciting, except.."

She stared at her glass of water before taking in a long breath.

"I don't know what's going on between me and Jacob. I thought he liked me. We went out on a few dates, got along really well, and I thought everything was going just fine. All of a sudden Miranda started butting into everything we do, and now Jacob doesn't seem so into me anymore."

"Sounds like Miranda's being the usual bitch she is. Why so concerned then?"

"The other night I caught them having sex in Miranda's office."

"How did you even get access-"

"Joker, I'm a thief. I can sneak around pretty well. And I wanted to know what was going on. But I found out more than I wanted to know."

"I'm sorry," Joker said, reaching out to grab her hand.

"Wow, Joker, your inner gentleman is actually showing itself."

"Alyssa and Shepard showed me a lot. I'm trying not to be as much as a dick as I used to be. Believe it or not I actually really do care about everyone on this ship. We're all family, you know? And just like with Alyssa and Gavin, I wouldn't want anything to happen to anyone here, for two reasons: this is my home away from home, and I can't really do anything if you all got injured. My bones are too fragile for that kind of stuff." Kasumi laughed, feeling a bit better from earlier.

"Want to have a drink? I think we both deserve one or two."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

><p>Kasumi and Joker were laughing hysterically at the minibar.<p>

They walked into Kasumi's room, knowing they were going to have at only one or two drinks.

Ten drinks and two hours later, they were laughing at just about anything they talked about.

"When Shepard found out that she was pregnant, she flipped! She said 'This is nothing like I've ever experienced before. How do I deal with a pregnant crew member?" Kasumi laughed out loud.

"May be all the women should get pregnant and see what Shep does!" She said, slapping her knee.

"She would probably kill all the men that were responsible," Joker said, laughing.

"I remember Jacob telling me one night when we were here, he really wanted to start a family, too. But he wanted to wait until we were married before we seriously started trying for a kid." She paused and thought for a moment.

"Actually, that was when Miranda started to get in the middle of things."

"You do know Miranda and Jacob used to date, right? May be he still had the hots for her."

"Yeah, but I don't want to believe that's true. I actually really fell for the guy. I cried after I found them that night."

The ambience of the room suddenly became a bit quieter and a bit more serious.

"I just, feel so alone, you know? After Keiji was murdered, I felt the same exact way, and I hated it. I tried to not think about it by carrying on our work, but it just reminded me of him, and it tore me to pieces. After Cerberus got a hold of me about Shep's mission, I made a promise to Keiji that I would stop sulking around and I'll be happy." Joker listened intently, swaying a bit from the alcohol.

"Then I found Jacob, and it was like falling in love with Keiji all over again. Seeing Miranda with Jacob hurt me just as bad as when I found Keiji with his head cut open and his grey box gone."

A tear rolled down her face, and onto the leather stool.

"I know what alone feels like. I feel like that right now, every time I'm in the cockpit without Alyssa. I've grown so used to having her there with me. It drives me nuts when she's not there. Even though I have Gavin up there with me now, it's still not the same with Alyssa not there." Joker sighed and got up from the bar.

"I should go, I'm getting a little headache."

"Wait! Joker," Kasumi got up, standing in front of him. She looked up at him, and gave him a hug. Surprised, Joker hesitantly returned the hug.

"Thanks for listening."

* * *

><p>"Joker! Joker! Wake up!"<p>

Joker's head was throbbing as he rolled over on his bed.

"What's going on?" Garrus crossed his arms over his chest.

"You've been asleep for almost 12 hours, and we're just about ready to leave. Shepard's looking for you. She's feeding Gavin in the medical bay."

Joker slowly got up, rubbing his head, then trudged his way towards the medical bay.

"Hey sleepy head," Shepard said, smiling at her pilot.

"Are we ready to go?"

"Just about. Liara should be on her way, and then we'll be heading to wherever Mordin is at. I haven't read his whole message, but I'll forward you the coordinates once we've taken off."

She took the bottle from Chakwas and began feeding Gavin.

"You know you should be doing this stuff. You are his dad."

"I thought Auntie Emi was going to spoil him." Shepard laughed.

"Touche, Mr. Moreau. Touche."

"I'll be in the cockpit getting ready."


End file.
